Lake Festivals Could Get Boost From Tdc Grants

TAVARES — Special events such as art festivals, boat shows and sporting competitions provide a welcome boost to Lake County's economy. They attract visitors who stay overnight in motels, dine and shop locally.

Such events go a long way to help promote Lake County as a vacation destination. With this in mind, a county tourism group wants to begin rewarding cultural programs, festivals and special events that draw visitors here.

The county's Tourist Development Council has proposed starting a grant program to help special events that draw folks from out of town. Festivals, shows and sporting competitions would be eligible for up to $5,000.

''We want to get people to come here,'' county Tourism Director Dave Warren said. ''Our primary purpose is to get people to come and spend the night with us.''

County commissioners must decide whether to approve the grant program. A public hearing is scheduled for April 27.

The money could be used by groups for advertising to help boost event attendance, Warren said. The grants also could be used for joint promotions of Lake County with corporations including grocery chains, car rental companies, travel agencies and airlines, he said.

''We want to make the program broad enough so we have everything covered,'' Warren said.

The grants couldn't be used for consulting services, salaries or capital improvements, under the proposal.

The group devised the proposed grant program after fielding requests from different organizations seeking money for their projects, Warren said.

''We felt a grant program would be the best way to go,'' he said.

Money for the program would come from the annual interest earned on collections from Lake's 2 percent bed tax on hotel rooms and other temporary lodging. That interest totaled nearly $54,000 last year.

The proposed grant program is just one of many avenues the county has taken to make it competitive with other Florida counties vying for tourists.

County leaders decided recently to spend $25,000 for a video highlighting Lake County and the attractions it offers tourists. The video will be aired on television travel shows.

The county has conducted an advertising blitz in thousands of newspapers touting Lake County as a fun place to visit, and advertises in prestigious travel publications such as the travel guides printed by the American Automobile Association.

Lake County also soon will have its own welcome center next to the industrial park at U.S. Highway 27, State Road 19 and Florida's Turnpike. The $210,000, 2,985-square-foot center will introduce tourists to Lake County and serve as a distribution point for information about lodging, RV parks, fish camps and attractions.